Expectations
by Sessediz
Summary: What's that worse that can happen when you least expect? Could it have been better if you had known about it beforehand? Serena is living with her mother and dog with her older brother Sam out of town. The summer has been pretty slow, but one night could change Serena's course for her senior year. Can one man make a difference by loving a small town girl? AU fiction. Rated T.
1. Chapter 1

_There is a faint sound of crickets chirping around the yard; some are closer than others, but they all are performing their own symphony to those who happen to be listening. Fireflies are cascading across the white blossoms of the moon garden – the smell of phlox, dragon flower, and calla lilies fill the warm evening air. Another summer's eve has been delivered and still here I sit on the paint-chipped porch waiting for nobody. Nobody to come. Nobody to say hello._

_Well, that's not true. The girls all stopped by about a half hour ago pick me up for our weekly hangout at Millie's Soda Shop. Their raspberry cola was always my favorite, but tonight was just another one of those nights where I wanted to be alone._

_Rei noted, as she's often known to, that I have spent more nights this summer by myself on this old porch than I have my whole life. She then said that she was beginning to think that I was straining away from the group on purpose, which is not the reason, though I understand why she would think that._

_It was just a feeling that I've been getting on occasion. I had told Mina about the recurring dream I had started having at the end of the school year and she promised not to tell. She was actually very gaga about the whole thing, just like she is about her monthly crush. I love her to pieces, but sometimes she just loved too easily._

_Not like me. I've never loved anyone except my mother, my older brother Sam, and of course my cute little border collie Rini. Sure, I've dated a couple of guys for a short period of time, but it was never anything serious. I guess it was just hard to believe in love after everything I had already seen at my age._

_Besides, none of the guys at my school were really my type. Or, if I had a type they wouldn't be_.

"Serena!" my mother called through the house.

"Out here, mom" I called back as I scratched at one of the paint chips on the porch. We need to give this thing a new layer of whitewash. The screen door squealed open.

My mother spoke in a gentle yet excited manner, "Honey, I just got a call from your brother. He's going to be coming home this weekend to visit." I could see that she wanted to jump up and down, but she remained composed as she told me the news.

"That's great" I said matter-of-factly. It was great; I was absolutely thrilled to see Sammy again. He had gotten a seasonal job packing crates at Baker Port a couple towns over and I hadn't seen him in months.

"Once Upon a Time is coming on, want me to wait for you?" my mother asked as she prepared to step back inside.

"Nah. I just want to stay out here for a bit longer. I'll either come in part-way through or re-watch it later, okay?" I stretched backward till I reclined on the wood structure, my hands behind my head. I heard her smile and then the screen door squeaked close.

_The night sky was always such a beautiful thing to see. It was one of the first things I remember seeing in my dream each night._

_In the dream I would be floating through the night sky, enveloped by the darkness it possessed. Just as I would feel totally happy and at peace I would see a clap of light disappear, though I could never recall seeing it in the first place._

_Then I would hear a terrible screech, like a chalkboard, followed by a howling wolf and I would feel completely cold. The last part of my dream always ended with a tightening of my shoulders and spine while I felt paralyzed with fear. It was as if a person in my dream was kidnapping me, maybe? I'm not much of a dream interpreter, but I felt like there was someone there; that something bad was going to happen. _

_There wasn't a cloud in the sky, not a single hit story on the news channel – Lewes was a safe town with nothing to be worried about, usually. Occasionally, I would get a bad feeling and stay home as I precaution, but tonight I just didn't feel like going out. Being a social bunny had sure lost its perks by the time I had reached my senior year. It was now the time to start scoping out colleges, to write entry essays and pay money to fill out stacks of applications. _

_My eyes found their way back to the night sky where only a few stars still twinkled. A cloud cover had formed to block my view… Maybe not on purpose, but that's how it felt. I sighed to myself when suddenly I heard a pop noise and all of the lights in the house had gone out._

Jumping up quickly to my feet I heard my mother holler, "Serena, looks like we blew a fuse again! Can you flip the switch out back?"

"Yeah, no problem" I answered as I fanned hair away from my face and mouth. The wind sure had picked up. I walked to the front of the house where the light box was when Rini started barking loudly. "Shh, girl!" I commanded, but she kept on. I turned around to see the trees fighting to stand up against the wind. Geez… look at that. It looked awfully scary, but for some reason I seemed calm during the whole ordeal.

Once I opened the metal box I realized that the area power must be out due to the weather.

"Mom, looks like a storm – a big one – is about to hit us! I'll grab the plants before it hits!" I knew that my mother wouldn't have wanted me outside, but I was working hard on growing this flowers over break. Moreover, she was probably scattered through the house looking for flashlights and the crank radio.

There were only five pots on the porch, but as I was grabbing the fourth one I started piecing it all together in my mind. This was all very similar to my dream, which was odd, but I was bound to be faced with details of any dream during my life, so why focus on this instance?

**_Screech!_**

I flung my body around to see a beat up old Ford pull into our driveway haphazardly and stop abruptly. A tall man quickly got out and ran in my direction. I think he's trying to tell me something. Listen, Serena. Listen. But I can't. How could I listen when right before my eyes was the biggest monster I have ever seen?

I couldn't move. I wanted to run far away, but the courage left me, left my body standing there.

* * *

First chapter of my first online fanfiction. Please let me know what you think - both good and bad reviews. I want to know your opinion. Thank you in advance! Namaste :D


	2. Chapter 2

I couldn't move. I wanted to run far away, but the courage left me, left my body standing there.

* * *

There was a familiar sweet smell of peach black tea, the kind my mother drinks, and I felt the weight of a large blanket on my body. I opened my eyes to see the old, rose-pink afghan my mother made me when I was only six. I could tell I was in the basement, but it was unusually dark with the exception of a few flickering tea candles in mason jars. I heard my mother whispering about a storm.

The storm. I had completely forgotten. How did I get in the basement?

A man's voice replied to my mother's persistent questions, "I think that the tornado is off the ground, but a new one could touchdown. We should wait a few more minutes before we check." Who was this man? His voice sounded oddly familiar.

"Mom?" I croaked as I began to sit up. She hurried over to my side and touched my forehead like I had the flu.

"Oh, honey… Are you alright?" before I could answer she continued on, "I'm glad that this nice man Darien was there. What happened to you?" I was hit with questions like I was on trial.

"I uh, don't know. Wait, who is he?" I looked around her, my eyes searching for the man in the darkness of the basement.

"Shields. Darien Shields," he answered smoothly. There before me stood a tall, dashing man with dark black bangs. My, he was beautiful, but I still had to ask.

"What happened? I remembered seeing your truck – and then, I dunno." I sucked on my bottom lip, like I always do when I get nervous, and waited for his response.

"You saw the tornado forming and your mind ignored the famed concept of 'fight or flight'. You just froze." He chuckled to himself as he sat down beside me. "But don't worry, the storm seems to be over now. I'd say that it was probably an F3. I was driving away from it for nearly seven minutes before I finally found a house. There really is not much of a neighborhood in this area." I leaned back against the sofa and held my cold hand to my burning cheek.

My mother spoke, "We own all of this land around here. Most don't live here anymore, so it's kind of secluded. Twenty minutes from town."

Darien responded, "Ah, yes. I passed through Porlis earlier today to pick up some toothpaste." Toothpaste? Why would he need toothpaste while driving?

"Where are you from, Mr. Shields?" I didn't know how old this stranger was, so I thought it best to be respectful. He thought I was being funny.

"Miss Serena, I am not that much older than you. You can skip the pleasantries." He glanced over at my mother. "But I am from Montana." He stood up and walked to the staircase. "I'll go see what it looks like outside; be right back."

Darien Shields started up the stairs out of the basement. I watched as he left and when I looked over at my mother who was grinning from ear to ear.

"What?" I already knew what she was smiling about, but asked anyway.

"He's cute, don't you think?"

"Mother!" I quickly covered my mouth because I was afraid he would have heard me. "You know that looks are trivial, and you know that I am not interested in dating."

"I'm sorry," she rubbed her left hand. My mother wasn't much of a gossiper, but she did like to be involved in my life. Whenever I went to a school dance with a guy she would pick up several disposable Kodak's and take up to a hundred pictures of us standing there awkwardly. All of those photos just made it harder to tell the guy that I wasn't interested in being his girlfriend; that this was just a one-time date.

"It's alright." I straightened my shirt and readjusted myself on the couch. "Do you think he's really from Montana?" My eyes were wide as I continued, "I mean, what would he be doing along the eastern coastline so far from home?" I really was curious about this mystery man. What business did he have on this side of the U.S.?

"Why don't you ask him?" My mother nodded over in the direction of the, now present, Darien Shields. Even his name made me shudder.

"I took the summer off to travel. This is the fourteenth state in my journey." He scratched the back of his head, "Actually, it's been a long, arduous quest." Smiling, he put his right hand in his pocket and pulled out his cell phone to flip through his photo album. "See?"

I pursed my lips and furrowed my eyebrows. "What is it that you are looking for?"

"I'm not really sure; just needed to get out of my home state for a while, though I may not go back."

"Why's that?" I was asking too much; prying into his business, but he seemed too peculiar to not ask personal queries.

All he did was laugh. "Serena, you sure seem like the kind of girl that won't leave a rock unturned. But it's late; shouldn't you be getting to bed?"

The nerve of him: a stranger treating me like a child, telling me to go to bed? Ha. "Remember, you're not much older than me, Dar-ri-en. I go to bed when I feel like it." I heard my mother clear her throat, "which would be now." I started to get up when Darien turned towards my mother.

"Thank you very much for letting me stay here, Mrs. Tsukino, but I best be on my way to find a hotel room for the night." That's a relief. I thought he was going to try to stay here.

"Don't be silly, Darien. We've got a guest house out back. You may use it as long as you are in town." My mother smiled.

"Guest house? Don't you mean Sammy's room? He'll be in t—"

"It's quite alright, Serena. He can stay there." She snapped back at me as if I was impeding on _her_ getting to see the mystery man again.

"I don't wish to be a bother, Mrs. Tsukino. I do thank you for the offer."

"You're not a bother, Darien, my daughter is just shy. Please, you must realize that trees may be down preventing you from making it to Porlis. Power lines too." Man, she was convincing. Don't know why though. I mean, yes he's an absolutely adorable man, but I bet he is also very chauvinistic and arrogant.

"In that case, I would be delighted." They started up the stairs and outside to the large shed that Sammy turned into quite the posh apartment. It hadn't been used since he got the job so even I had spent some nights out there.

I went up both stairwells to my bedroom where I sat down on the trapezoidal ledge of my bay window and grabbed one of my blue striped pillows. It sure was a beautiful night. I had thought that before the tornado came through, but now it was different. I looked up at the night sky, stars twinkling again, and thought to myself.

_Our family was lucky to have been spared by fates cruel fist this time around, which I am thankful for, but what of this Darien guy? He seemed to plague my thoughts and I say plague because I didn't want him there. There was no desire in my body to waste time on a guy. I just wanted to sip on a raspberry cola, snuggle up with my mom on the couch, and just forget life. Forget that boys exist and forget that one day my mother would expect me to get married. _

I walked over to my dresser to grab a large pajama shirt and change out of my day clothes. Then I went to my wire bed and got nestled in under my blankets.

_After what happened with dad, I don't think I'll ever get married. I haven't had a boyfriend since I was seven years old and I had never been in love. I didn't want to be in love. _

_And I didn't want anyone to fall in love with me._

* * *

I am rather enjoying this story so far, but please let me know what you think! Even just a small blurb of a sentence will suffice. Thank you for reading! Chapter 3 will be here before too long. :)

I am starting to upload drawings to my Deviant Art page so that my wonderful readers (yes, you) can also get a visual with the story.

Serena not wanting to think about Darien: art/Expectations-360842826?ga_submit_new=10%253A1363928360&ga_type=edit&ga_changes=1&ga_recent=1


	3. Chapter 3

I slowly adjust my eyes to the sun by opening them just a small bit and blinking again. This was a daily exercise that I took part in because I usually try to sleep in for a while, especially if it's not a school day. Which it wasn't.

I moved the covers off of my body and stepped out of bed to walk towards my closet to grab my pink romper with little blue flowers. Then I stood in front of my full length mirror. My hair was a long mess, but only on one side, so I ran my fingers through it while I started on my way to the stairs to the kitchen. On my way there I detected a strong smell of pancakes.

As I turned into the kitchen doorway I said aloud, "Ugh, I can't wait to pour some syrup all over my delicious, golden..."

"Good Morning, Serena!" I stopped dead in my tracks. Darien just stood there smiling like a giddy child holding a spatula. "I made breakfast, would you like some?"

"Pancakes? I'll pass…" I lied. They smelled great, but I wasn't about to trust a stranger to cook my food. "Did you poison them?"

Darien snickered, "No, silly. You trust the fry cook at Scotty's, but not me?"

"What..?"

He continued, "Your mother said it was your favorite." My mother? I can't believe she's telling personal information to a stranger.

My mother walked upstairs from the basement with a clean load of clothes. "Oh, hello darling. Have you had breakfast yet? Darien put the flapjacks on the table." I looked over to our kitchen booth with green leather seats and cream-colored tabletop. In the center was a plate of pancakes stacked high.

"No. I haven't had the pleasure." I winced over at Darien who had turned back to the stove. "Mom, could I talk to you for a moment?" I gestured her into the dining room that was full of boxes. "Why are you sharing so much with this guy? He could be a serial killer."

She giggled, "Serena, he's just a traveler. And he's being awfully nice to you. Why are you so aggressive all of a sudden?" She was right. I guess I was being a little crazed. It's just that I didn't feel comfortable around strange men.

"I'm just a little on edge, I suppose. He's kind of off-putting, ya know?"

My mother gently grabbed my shoulder, "Would you feel better if I asked him to leave? I can do that if you'd like."

"Nah, it's okay. It's not like anything bad will really—"

**_Crash!_**

There was a loud sound from the kitchen and we quickly ran to the next room. Darien was picking up pieces of glass off of the ground where there was all of the pancakes, sans one. Rini was wagging her tail as she munched on one of the golden flapjacks.

"What happened?" my mother shrieked.

"I'm sorry that your plate is broken, Mrs. Tsukino. It would seem that your border collie likes my cooking." Darien smirked as he placed the broken plate pieces into a grocery bag. I knelt down beside Rini to hold her back from the food as Darien continued to clean.

"Her name is Rini." I said softly.

Darien looked up at me, pausing for a moment. "That's a nice name. Did you name her?" I blushed.

"Yeah, I got her in eighth grade for getting straight A's." He smiled as he looked directly at me. His eyes were a beautiful chocolate brown.

"You must be very smart." I covered my smile with my hand and suddenly looked to my left to see my mother still standing there, grasping onto every word we said.

"Um, I'll go put Rini on her lead outside." I took her outside to where her little house was.

_What was that feeling that I had felt? _

My mother opened the backdoor and called out, "Serena, I need you go to the market to grab something for dinner tonight! I'm going to go check on Ms. Haruna, so I left some money on the counter. See you in a few hours!" Sigh. Now I have to bike out to Porlis and back.

As soon as I got inside Darien popped up out of nowhere, "Hey! Would you like a ride into town?"

"You want to give me a ride?" I grasped the cash in my hand and stuffed it in the pocket of my romper. "Thanks, but I can bike there."

Darien shook his head, "I can drive you, just let me get my shoes on." As soon as he left the room I ran outside, grabbed my bike, and started peddling hastily out of the driveway. I could certainly use some exercise since my summer had been filled with gardening and sitting around, but I sure wasn't going to make Darien drive me. It was only about a 40 minute bike ride (15 minute drive) to Porlis, so I could make it.

I was about 10 minutes into my trip when I passed the waterhole and heard a honk behind me. Darien had caught up to me; not that I didn't think that would happen.

"Hey! What's the rush?" Darien slowed to a halt beside me once I had placed my feet onto the ground. "I told you I was giving you a ride."

"I could use the exercise." I said flatly. He laughed hysterically.

"Serena, you are beautiful the way you are. And quite healthy too. No need to kill yourself biking 20 miles per hour." He opened his door and walked over to me. "Here, I'll put your bike in the back of my truck."

I tightened my lips as I got off of my bike. I knew he wouldn't take no for an answer this time, so I complied.

"By the way," he said as he lifted my mountain bike into his truck, "your friend Ami called the house right after you left. She said she wanted to make sure you and your mother were okay."

"Oh, no! Is she okay? What about the girls?" I asked hurriedly.

He closed the hatch as he walked back to towards the driver's seat. "As far as I could tell, everyone is alright. But a couple of the buildings at Porlis were torn up a bit; shingles and such. She said that your 'gang' was getting together at some place called Millie's."

"Alright. Thank you for telling me." Darien smiled, turned the key 'round and we started down the road to the market. I stayed pretty quiet for the first few minutes. He had some cool music on; nothing I had ever heard before, but definitely the type of music I would listen to. My eyes scanned the interior of the vehicle to find some clue that could help me to understand this guy more.

That's when I noticed the little faded orange globe hanging off of his rearview mirror. I leaned closer to read the small font wrapped around the sphere.

"_A ship in the harbor is safe, but that's not why ships are built."_

I broke the silence. "Inspiring," It was a neat little quote, but what did it mean?

"Thank you. My little sister made it for me before I left. It's kind of like our motto." I gave him a curious look as we hit a bump in the road.

"Ow." I had hit my arm on the inside of the door.

"You alright?" I nodded yes so he continued on. "There are dangers to entering the seas, such as storms, rough waters, and even the unknown. However, a ship is built with the purpose is to seek out and find new lands. Or perhaps revisit old ones. You can't stay in the harbor all your life. You have to go out and find your adventure." I was struck. I just had to ask.

"So, are you some kind of explorer..?" Raising an eyebrow I waited for his answer.

He chuckled. "I guess so. I have many stories from my journey so far."

I took a deep breath. "I'd love to hear them later, if you don't mind." We pulled into a parking spot outside of Harold's Supermarket. Darien shifted to park, turned off the engine and looked over at me.

"I don't mind at all, Miss Serena."

* * *

I would like to personally thank you all for reading my story so far! If you have time, I'd love to hear what you think. Reviews are what keep me going and get my creative ideas flowing. :)

I did draw two more pictures for you all and they are available at my deviantart page:

Rini as a dog: art/Rini-Mini-Moon-as-a-Dog-361524650?q=gallery%3Asessediz&qo=3

Darien cooking pancakes: art/Darien-Cooking-361677738?q=gallery%3ASessediz%20randomize%3A1&qo=2


	4. Chapter 4

I took a deep breath. "I'd love to hear them later, if you don't mind." We pulled into a parking spot outside of Harold's Supermarket. Darien shifted to park, turned off the engine and looked over at me.

"I don't mind at all, Miss Serena."

* * *

Darien smiled as he stepped from his truck onto the dirt road. I did the same and continued to head inside Mr. Harold Diamond's store to the meat aisle. There was a sale on sirloin steak; three steaks for the price of two. How convenient.

"Hm, I like steak too. Could we have mashed potatoes with dinner?" I spun around with my back to the low freezer glass, grasping the package of meat to my chest.

"Darien!" Catching my breath I started to scold him. "Why would you sneak up on someone like that? Why are you following me anyway?"

"Well... I don't live here. This isn't my town and I am a stranger to these people. I don't want to just wander around until you're done shopping..." He stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked out of the store window. "You know, it's a very nice day today. We should have a picnic."

"I don't think so." I slid past him on my way to the frozen vegetables.

"Oh. That's alright then." I looked back at him. He was turned away from me and looking down.

"Darien…" I paused. "It's just that I still don't know you. And who knows how long you'll be in town? It's not like we're going to become best of friends in a day or something." I continued on my way, though my heart told me to change my mind about the picnic.

Once I had gotten a bag of frozen corn I heard the door open and close. Mr. Diamond was ringing up another customer when I walked up. I looked outside to see Darien leaning against his truck checking his phone.

"Miss Tsukino?" Mr. Diamond had caught me off guard.

"Oh. I'm sorry." I set down the items and glanced back towards Darien who was now talking on his phone. Harold Diamond was bagging my food when he asked me who that man was. "That is Darien Shields of Montana. He's some kind of an explorer making a stop in our town."

Mr. Diamond looked puzzled. "Shields? Like, Stephan and Roseanna Shields of Montana?"

"I, uh, don't know… why?"

"They were a vacationing couple a long while ago. Probably about a decade, no, decade and a half ago at least. I was just thinking about him the other day, in fact."

"Did they come here often?"

"No. No, they had gotten a flat one year and stopped by our town for a fix; ended up staying a few more days till our Labor Day festivities. They sure were a lively bunch."

I got a nervous feeling in my throat when I asked what had happened.

"Ah, they were packing up their car outside of The South Inn, now called Paradise Place, and were waving goodbye to Fran, you remember Fran don't you?"

I nodded yes and hummed a 'mm-hmm'.

"Mm, and they weren't more than a mile down the road when a farming tractor came around that'er sharp curve by the bluffs. Mr. Shields tried to brake hard before he hit the tractor but his back wheels spun out from under him…" He stopped and sighed.

My eyes had welled up. I could tell what the ending was without hearing it, but Mr. Diamond continued.

"…their car flipped over the guardrail and rolled down the cliff – down to the bottom."

I looked at the deli beside the counter, and as if I had no physical control over my body, I grabbed two tuna sandwiches and put them on the counter.

"They were killed instantly. He, on the other hand, survived by a miracle; spent a month in the hospital a couple towns over." I handed him the money due and he returned with the receipt.

"That's – um – a real tragedy." I had no words. "I wonder if that's why he's here now."

"Possibly. Papers said that he had no memory of the instance or even his past – some kind of amnesia thing."

I grabbed my paper bag. "Thank you for telling me. I'll see you later."

"No problem, kiddo. If you need anything else you know where I am."

I opened the door and saw Darien standing there. "Darien..." a tear rolled down my cheek. "I bought us some sandwiches. We can go on a picnic right now."

Darien put his hands on my shoulders. "I was actually thinking of a later afternoon picnic. That way we can go on a walk and I can tell you some travel stories." He grinned. "Besides, aren't you going to say hi to your friends first?"

"That's right… I won't be able to stay long because I have to get this food home." I looked over at Millie's Soda Shop and saw Lita's car. "Would you like to meet my friends?"

Darien was taken aback. "You want to introduce me to your friends?"

"Yeah. Why not?"

"It's, well, this isn't like you. Just a few minutes ago you were trying to get rid of me. Then you come out here with sandwiches and – wait – are you crying?" He reached for my cheek but I wiped away the tears.

"No. Just got some dust in my eye from the road."

"You mean both of them?"

I ignored his question. "Let's go."

We walked over to Millie's and the door dinged as we walked inside. Millie's was a little old-fashioned soda shop with red vinyl stools, a black cat clock, and even a vintage jukebox, though it didn't work. It wasn't themed that way; just that Mitch kept it exactly as his grandparent's had.

"Hey, Serena!" Lita waved excitedly to me.

"Hiya, guys!" I looked as Rei's plate. "Hey, Rei.. mind giving me a French fry or two?"

"Sure and then it'll be a third one, a fourth one, and then I'll have to order another plate of fries…" She crossed her arms.

"No matter. I know Mina will give me one of hers, won't you Mina?" I nudged her side.

"Only if you tell me who that hunk is standing by the jukebox." Mina squealed.

Ami spoke up, "Is that the man that picked up the phone for you earlier, Serena?"

I leaned in to whisper. "Yeah, it is. His name is Darien. He's an explorer."

Mina's mouth hung open. "An explorer? Like Indiana Jones or something?" She looked up and you could tell that she was daydreaming of some kind of Dian Fossey—Indiana Jones romance.

"No, not like that." I looked over at him. "Darien! Come over and say hi." His lips tightened and he turned to walk towards us, each step was like a single glide from the jukebox to the table.

"Hello ladies." He said gently.

Rei, Lita, Mina and Ami gushed in unison, "Hello Darien…" He looked over at me with confusion.

"My apologies, Darien. The attractive guys at our school are real douchebags. Varsity sports guys, I'm sure you know the type."

Rei chimed in. "Not all of them are douchebags, Serena-nena."

I laughed. "And how is dear Chad?"

"I haven't seen him. Football camp is this week and next."

Lita frowned, "Um, Rei, it's only next week. This week is just two-a-days. Practice for a couple hours in the morning and a couple in the evening." Rei looked like she was about to explode.

"What!?" She yelled as she pulled out her phone and called Chad.

"Well, not that this isn't fun, but Darien and I have to get this food home." I gestured him towards the door.

"Wait, he's staying at your house? Where is he sleeping, the couch?" Lita probed.

"Sammy's room in the guest house." I answered. "But we best be going."

Just as I was waving bye to the girls and trying to hurry Darien outside of the shop I heard some say, "Serena, I got your favorite!" I turned to see Andrew behind the counter holding a to-go cup filled with raspberry cola.

"Oh. Thank you, Andrew. I completely forgot." I fumbled for some leftover cash in my pocket.

"Don't worry about it, Bun-Bun. I got it." He winked.

"You sure? I've got money with me."

"I'm sure." He looked over at Darien. "Hey, man. You look familiar. Do I know you?"

Darien raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't know." Andrew looked bewildered.

"Alright. Well, have a great day, Bun-Bun and Bun-Bun's friend."

_We got into Darien's truck and drove home in silence. It was kind of weird because there was no real reason for the awkwardness. Not like the time mom caught me sneaking out to Porlis when she herself went to town. That drive home was scary and almost haunting. _

_Instead, there was just nothing to say. Was Darien the boy who's car flipped over the bluffs? Was it his parents who had died?_

_I looked over at the little orange globe bouncing off the rearview mirror. His sister. Mr. Diamond didn't mention there being a second child. Did that mean that Darien wasn't the boy after all? Perhaps._

_Andrew recognized him though. _

_There is just so much going on in my head about this guy. I don't even know what I am thinking. _

I looked over at him. He seemed at ease, yet focused. _Who was this guy? _

_And why was I finding myself so easily enthralled by his demeanor?_


	5. Chapter 5

I looked over at him. He seemed at ease, yet focused. _Who was this guy?_

_And why was I finding myself so easily enthralled by his demeanor?_

* * *

When we arrived back to the house I handed him his sandwich and went out to the porch to eat mine. Once we had been there for about ten minutes I heard a car pull into the driveway. I looked up to see my mother getting out of the SUV. She came over and sat next to me.

"Hello, darling. How was your day so far?" she nudged my knee and grinned.

"It was fine." I took the last bite of my sandwich and she still looked at me. "Where you looking for a particular answer?"

She stood up and adjusted her shirt. "Nah, I was just curious how things went with Darien."

"Oh." She started to walk away to go inside the house, but I spoke up. "Hey, Mom? Do you remember hearing about a boy whose family's car went over the guardrail by the bluffs? It would have been a while ago."

"Yes. I do. I'm surprised you remember though." She walked back towards me and sat down again. "You couldn't have been older than three, maybe four. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I was talking to Mr. Diamond down at the supermarket and he recognized Darien's last name. He said that there was an accident a while ago and that a boy's parents had passed away."

My mother's lips tightened. "Serena, this isn't the first time you've met Darien Shields."

"What?"

I looked away from her to my right. I just stared at the ground trying to recall having met him, but who really remembers that much from that age?

_Did I see him at the Labor Day festival?_

"Serena?" I turned back to my mother. "Do you remember that photo that used to be on your father's desk at work? The one of you hugging the little boy who was a couple years older than you? That's Darien Shields."

"What do you mean that boy was Darien Shields?"

"I mean that the boy that you spent all week with, the one who you went flower picking with was Darien. Remember when we took you to the hospital in Harpton to see him and he was upset but didn't know why?" My mother grabbed my hand. "You tried to make him feel better by giving him a hug, but when he got in the accident he injured his head and couldn't remember you. So you handed him some necklace you two had found by the lake."

"So… I knew Darien fifteen years ago." I stood up. "I guess I should go talk to him."

"If you want to, sweetie."

I rushed inside to the kitchen where I expected to find Darien, but he was nowhere in sight. "Darien? Darien!?" I called through the house, but heard no reply. Then I looked out the kitchen window facing the guest house and saw him walking inside so I followed after him. Once I had approached the door I thought about whether or not I should knock. I mean, this was my property. But, then again, when grandma visits I still knock for her so I went ahead and did the same for Darien. He answered promptly.

"Hello Miss Serena." He said cordially. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"I'd like to talk to you. Would it be alright if I came inside?"

"Of course. This is your house, after all." I stepped inside as he closed the door and glanced around the room to see a pair of my underwear beside the lounge chair. I quickly ran over and kicked it underneath the seat.

"So, what do you want to talk to me about?" He smiled as he sat at the edge of the bed. I stayed standing as I thought of how to open my list of questions in a pleasant way.

"Darien, this isn't your first trip to Porlis and Bachelon, is it? You've been here before, correct?" He shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "I'm sorry if I brought up anything that will cause you to be upset…"

"No, Miss Serena. It's alright." He stood up and placed his strong hands on my shoulders. "I suspect that someone told you what happened when I was younger."

I took a deep breath. "Actually, a couple. And I was reminded of a picture. A picture of us."

"But do you yourself remember?" He stared into my eyes.

"Yes. I remember some things. Like you helping me pick daises, us stuffing our faces full of cotton candy at the festival…" I smiled to myself. "Yeah, I remember."

"Do you… Do you remember…" He paused. His face seemed very serious. "Do you remember our promise?"

"Promise?"

"Yes. We had found an old locket down by that small pond that your family owns. Do you remember the promise I made to you?" His eyes just looked so hopeful. While I remember there being a necklace of some sort, like my mother had mentioned, I don't recall a promise made.

"I'm sorry, Darien. That was a long time ago… I don't remember that much."

"But you have to remember!" His voice was louder now, though not quite yelling. He walked to his small suitcase lying beside the nightstand and rummaged through it till he found a little red box. "Serena, this is the locket that we found when we were children." He opened the box to show a silver chained necklace with a little star-shaped locket. I gazed in his eyes, as if to ask for permission to hold it in my hands, he nodded his head.

The locket was fairly small in my hands. It couldn't have been bigger than an inch. I carefully tried to open the hinge to find that there was nothing inside of it.

"Serena, I made a promise to you. I promised you that I would return one day, with my family, but that part I won't be able to furnish." I suddenly felt uncomfortable; like I was being told that we were betrothed or something stupid like in a Disney movie. "Miss Serena, I am here to make good of my promise because I promised you that I—" The phone rang.

"I'm sure my mother will get it." It rang again. I looked at the phone, then back at Darien as it began to ring for a third time, but it was cut short. I exhaled. "You were saying?"

Darien took a deep breath. "Serena, I promised you that I would give—"

"Serena, honey, it's Sammy on the phone. He said he'll be home early, in time for dinner. Would you two mind running back to the store for more groceries?" My mother had rushed in at the exactly most wrong time. Or best time. Not sure yet.

"We would be glad to, Mrs. Tsukino." He answered for us both as he grabbed the keys to his truck off of the circle dining table in the guest house.

"Great! Here's twenty dollars. That should be enough…" My mother appeared to be flustered.

"Mom, it's plenty. Sammy may eat a lot, but we don't have to make a five course meal for him. Alright?" I hugged her.

"Alright. Hurry back now. I'm going to go cut up potatoes and start them before you get back." Darien smirked at me because he was going to get exactly what he had wanted without having to ask for it.

We headed back on the road with the radio turned on; first "Jeremy" by Pearl Jam, followed by "Dr. Feelgood" and "Us and Them". I wanted to talk but my throat was dry. We pulled back into our spot from earlier and continued into Harold's again.

"Welcome back, Little Ms. Tsukino!" Harold beamed as he saw me by the meat aisle again.

"Hello, Mr. Diamond. This is my friend, Darien." Darien walked towards him and shook his hand.

"It's nice to see you, Sir." Darien greeted him.

"And it's good to see you again, my lad. You've become such a dashing young man." Harold Diamond nudged him hard. "Bet you get all the lady's swooning over you." He laughed and Darien joined in.

"I guess, but I manage to stay focused." He glanced warmly over at me.

_Was that supposed to be some kind of a hint? _

_I know that we have some sort of a past friendship together and I respect that. But that didn't mean that we were going to have anything more than a friendship, nay marriage. That's the thought I was picking up on when I saw Darien look at me._

Once we checked out at the cash register we got back into the truck for home. He tried turning on the radio again after a moment of silence, but I spoke up quickly.

"Darien, please don't try to push this fantasy of yours onto me. I'm not sure what we promised as children, but I was three! You can't expect me to be your girlfriend just because you showed me some stolen jewelry."

There was another moment of silence. Then Darien cleared his throat and began, "It wasn't stolen, first of all. And second, who said that that was our promise?" Darien pulled off to the side of the road and cut the engine. "You know, I had considered coming back out here to try to help myself remember the day that I lost my parents, but I could never bring myself to do it. Then I start having these dreams…"

I shifted away from him. "Not that kind of dream. In my dream, believe it or not, but you are your age now; you would be smiling and happy, which would make me happy, but then I would see this darkness flood over you and then I couldn't see you anymore. As I ran towards you I would hear all of these sounds. I could never get to you. I didn't even know it was you."

He pulled the locket out of his pocket. I hadn't even seen him take it with him. "One night I finally got to you and picked you up. But you were a little child. I didn't think it was you until I saw your hair in two small buns. That's when I remembered you from when we were little. I searched my room for several days until I found this." He held up the necklace and the locket swiveled around in a circle. "Serena, I have returned to uphold my promise in the sense that I will tell you. When I was six years old I promised you that I would come back with a chariot, a bouquet of daises and ask you to marry me." I swallowed hard and blinked repeatedly.

"So, all you did was come back?" I tried to focus on the first details rather than the last, lest I pass out from the topic of marriage.

He chuckled. "Well, you wouldn't really expect me to show up with a couple of horses and a wagon, so this old Ford Ranger will have to do. And I don't know if you have noticed, but there is a drought going on right now so no daises."

"And… the last part?"

Darien could barely contain his smile. "Serena, I am not going to marry you, or well, I am not thinking about it right now. But I do feel this connection to you and I think you feel it too."

"What connec—" I saw Darien getting closer to me, his eyes in the process of closing. Oh no no no!

"Ow! What the?" He immediately grabbed his nose that I presumably just broke. "Why would you do that?"

"You were leaning in towards me…"

"And? If I had been falling you would have hurt me?"

"Well, no. But you weren't falling. You were trying to kiss me."

"A simple no would have sufficed." He looked in the rearview mirror. "Luckily it's not broken. I need to teach you how to protect yourself, Serena."

"You won't be teaching me anything. Now, drive me home." I crossed my arms.

"Serena…" He spoke so gently, almost in the faintest whisper. "Will you please give me a chance? I know you have your walls up, but I don't believe that's because of me. So will you let me into your life like you did when we were children? I will plant you a field of daises." He inched closer to me, but this time I didn't inch away.

_I hadn't known him for long. Not really. It was almost like he was from a previous life, having known him when I was just three years old. _

I closed my eyes and felt his lips against mine. They were warm and slightly wet as they moved across my lips.

_He was most definitely a better kisser than Gregory was; the only other guy I have kissed, but that was in the eighth grade._

"Serena…" He whispered my name as he gave me one last kiss. He pulled away and smiled.

"What?" I asked, trying not to smile back. He started the ignition.

"I've waited fifteen years for that kiss."

* * *

This is my fifth chapter! So exciting! :)

Thank you for reading my story and for reviewing, but I have to say.. I'd like to hear feedback from more than just a few of you. Otherwise, how will I know that you are actually enjoying this story? I may have make this chapter all some sort of a dream if I don't think my readers like it... Ye been warned.

Namaste xo


	6. Chapter 6

"Serena…" He whispered my name as he gave me one last kiss. He pulled away and smiled.

"What?" I asked, trying not to smile back. He started the ignition.

"I've waited fifteen years for that kiss."

* * *

When we turned onto my street I noticed another truck in our driveway. It was a mud-splattered white Chevy; Sammy was home!

I looked to Darien and grinned as we pulled to a stop. I didn't even grab the meat as I quickly unbuckled my seatbelt and ran inside to see my older brother for the first time in three months.

"Sammy!" I jumped into his arms as he enveloped me in a tight hug. He smelled of fish and motor oil, but I didn't care; I just hugged him tighter.

Sammy laughed, "Hey, Buns!" He picked me up and shook me from side to side, "It's so good to see you again!" He smiled as he let me down and then noticed Darien. "Hey, man, almost didn't even recognize you." They shook hands and Darien half-smiled.

"Yeah, I remember you too, just not much." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Well surely you must remember when we snuck out to my family's old orchard and spent a whole afternoon throwing apples at each other!" Sammy grinned as if the deed was an accomplishment.

If the remains of the old orchard were part of an existing one I know that my mother would have said something, but it wasn't. After my grandfather passed away the orchard was just left behind. I know that many people in the neighborhood still treat themselves to a few when they are in season, but every year less and less of the trees reach fruition.

Darien smiled and said, "Yeah, I believe I got a few bruises from that day."

Surprisingly, conversation flow was a lot smoother than normal. Whenever Sammy went away on a project or for work and returned it was always an awkward first night. Then again, dad was always there and nothing went smoothly with him around.

I would have thought that Darien would continue his uneasiness to the topic of his past, but he seemed to be more comfortable with Sammy in the house.

"So, Darien," my brother sipped his Diet Coke, "How long are you in town?"

"I am unsure at the moment. I'd like to stay a while and try to remember more about my past, but at the same time my family is back home. I know that my little sister Naomi misses me." Darien spoke as I took a bite of my steak.

"Oh?" I added, "So is this an adoptive family?" As soon as the words left my mouth I felt my mother's stare.

Darien answered without missing a beat, "Yes. They adopted me when I got back to Montana after the accident." He grabbed the salt and shook a little more onto his potatoes. "They're really great people."

_Well, that's an interesting way to refer to them. _

_People. _

_Not great parents. Not a great sister. People._

After dinner was over I asked Sammy if he'd like to sit out on the porch with me, but he said that he needed another shower (which I can attest to) and that he needed to catch up on some sleep. I suggested that we could another time and went out by myself.

_It's crazy to think how much has happened in the past day. Just 24 hours ago I was sitting on this porch, smelling the fresh air before a storm; before this man stepped into my life._

**_Back_**_ into my life. _

_I had become wary of men. The thought that any man could ever love me for a lifetime – without cheating on me with a photo journalist – seemed so far-fetched. _

_It's not that I didn't want love. I did. I just didn't trust it. _

_I grew up planning my wedding, but it's really just a day. A day to wear a big dress with teased hair and painful shoes, a day to spend months and months planning just so that you can waste any savings that you had on people you barely know; the very thought of it was sickening to me._

_I cared more about the marriage. How would you deal with finances? Where would you live – your house, his house, or a new one? Would you squeeze the toothpaste in the middle or from the end?_

_The end, obviously._

I looked up at the sky to see the sun starting to set. As I let out a deep breath I heard a voice from behind me.

"Beautiful night, isn't it?" I turned to see Darien leaning against the doorway.

"It is." I replied shortly. I rubbed my face and extended my arms to stretch. "Did you need something?"

"Nope." He walked right next to me. "But I would like to ask you to go on a walk with me." Darien reached his hand out for me to grab. It made me feel so special for him to ask to spend time with me. He was most definitely different than any other guy that I had met, but perhaps that was because he was older.

"Alright." I stood beside him as we headed off to the trail that went through the anchorage of land that my family owned. It was a thirty-minute loop, but I knew he wouldn't mind. I stopped. "Oh. I should tell my mother where I am going."

"I already told her I was asking you for a walk. I wanted her permission." Darien spoke so smoothly it was like a flute dancing through the air. I know that sounds cheesy, but that's how I felt.

A man was asking my mother for permission to go on a walk with me. That same man had shown up out of nowhere, after fifteen years, so that he could fulfill a simple promise. And, again, that man was now walking beside me.

I inched a little closer to him so that he could wrap his arm around my waist as we walked the trail. He got the message pretty quickly and obliged as he began to speak again.

"Serena, what happened to make you hate men? I know that that is how you feel, but I don't know why. Was it a boyfriend?" He didn't look at me, just straight forward. I didn't really know how to begin on such a subject, so I just stopped walking. He stopped a few steps after and looked back at me.

"My father cheated on my mother. The two-faced douchebag threw 25 years of marriage away for some 23 year-old photo journalist that was visiting the East coast." I said it flatly before adding on, "I don't believe in marriage, Darien."

He stood silently. "But… one failed marriage isn't a tell-all for all marriages."

"There are enough failed marriages out there that say otherwise." I tugged at the collar of my romper. "I'm sorry, Darien."

"Why are you sorry?" He placed his hands on my shoulders, like he had done earlier.

"Because you believe in marriage; that is why you are here now. Marriage."

"Serena, I am not here to get on one knee and hand you a ring. I am here because I am on a journey. A journey to find out who I am, who I will become. And if that involves you then I will be all the happier. But if you don't have any feelings towards me then I will pick up where I left off and continue on my way." Darien sighed. There was so much that he just said.

I started to speak, "But…"

"No, Serena. I have known you for essentially a day now. I have fallen for you in a way that people write about happening. But you seem to think that my feelings are in some way perverted. In a sense, that I would marry you after one day. Do you even hear yourself?"

_He was right. What was I thinking?_

"Darien, I'm sorry. I just – " My throat was dry. I tried to continue, but then I felt it. Tears. Tears were forming at the corners of my eyes and there was no way of stopping them.

Darien quickly realized what was going on and enveloped me in a hug. "Don't cry, Miss Serena. Please don't cry." He held me close and I just cried more.

It's quite hard to talk when you are crying so hard, but I managed to get a few words out, "Can... start... over?"

He kissed the top of my head. "Yes. We can." He held me away from him at arm's length. "My name is Darien Shields. Who are you?"

I choked on my laughter as I said "Serena. Serena Tsukino."

"Well, Miss Serena, may I kiss you right now?"

_I figured there was nothing stopping me. This could be my chance at love. Whether it's for a little bit, or, well, longer. _

As I kissed Darien, and he kissed me back, I couldn't help but think of myself as a child. I tried desperately to remember our past together, but there was so much clouding it.

Once we got back to the house Darien walked me to the front door and told me goodnight. I kissed him on the cheek before hugging him again. He smelled so good. Not super yummy good or expensive cologne good, but Darien good.

He left and walked around the house to the guest house.

_That night, as I slept, I dreamt of a little boy holding my hand as we walked. My hair was in two little buns like I always wore as a kid. The boy tugged on one of them and the hairband fell out. He smiled at me and called me a "hoppy-bunny". _

_I chased him around until I cornered him by the repair shop in town. He must have thought I was going to scream or attempt to get him back for teasing me. But I didn't. I kissed him. _

_It was me who made the first move. __**I had kissed Darien.**_

* * *

Thank you for all of the reviews so far! Keep 'em up!

I am planning on changing up perspectives for the next chapter. Would anybody like to hear Darien's point of view? Tell me what you think!

xo


	7. Chapter 7

Darien's Point of View

_I had finally gotten Serena to trust me. It took all the courage I had to come back her for her and then more work to get her to even talk to me. But it was all worth it._

I held her hand as we walked up the path back to the house. It was fairly dark by the time we finished our walk, so Serena's footing kept veering towards me.

_Perhaps she was doing it on purpose? _

We stepped onto the porch and all I could think about was kissing her. Kissing her soft, round lips; my hand grasping gently at the nape of her neck… but I stood there and did nothing.

_Kiss her, you idiot. At least say something._

"Night." I said hurriedly. Serena grinned at my nervousness and leaned in to kiss me on the cheek. I wrapped my arms around her in a tight hug before leaving to the guest house.

When I reached the door I noticed that the lights were on. I guess I forgot that this was actually Sammy's room.

"Sammy, may I come in?" I asked through the creaked door.

"Sure. Oh, and feel free to call me Sam. Sammy is my family's nickname." He walked over to the television and switched it off. "I wondered where you were staying, but then I saw this suitcase here." Sam gestured to my bag in the corner.

"Uh yeah, but I can go and sleep on the couch. It's no big." I grabbed my case and zipped up the sides.

"Well, you don't have to sleep on the couch. My bedroom in the house has some boxes in it, but there's still a bed and room to move around. You can sleep there if you'd like." I nodded. As I started to walk towards the door he spoke again, "Hey, can we talk for a minute? About this." I turned to see Sam holding up the locket that I had left on the nightstand.

"What's there to talk about?" I sat down at the table and he followed suit.

"My sister. My dad's not around anymore and now I am the man of the house. I can't be around much because of my work to help us keep our house and land, but I am still protective of Buns." He rubbed his forehead and continued, "So, if I may, I'd like to ask you a few questions."

Few? I wish I knew what dictionary he got this definition of 'few' from. Sam asked me where I was from, what kind of person I was, how much school did I complete, what plans do I have for the future, and on and on. I'm not surprise that he's so protective of Serena; she definitely deserves the best. However, I felt that Sam was assuming that I was a bad man instead of just getting to know me.

I know Serena's eighteen years old, but I wasn't planning on trying anything with her, or anytime soon. I wanted a real relationship and I wanted it with her.

Sam let me go after about the twenty-third question and I headed inside and up the stairs to Sam's old room. I noticed Serena's door because it had her name scrawled on the side trim with markings. It was probably how they kept track of her growth as a child. Inside Sammy's room were a bunch of boxes like he said. I wondered what they were filled with. I mean, there were so many of them in the dining room and the basement; what more could they need?

I stripped down to my boxers and changed into one of my grey tanks. The bed was nicely made up with a wagon inspired quilt atop it.

I struggled to get to sleep that night. It's not that the bed wasn't comfortable, there was just a lot on my mind.

_What were my plans for the future? I knew I wanted to travel, especially out of the country, but what about Serena? Maybe she wouldn't like to do that. I wonder what her dreams were. Or what she was dreaming right now._

Eventually I moved to the farthest edge of the bed and drifted off to sleep.

Serena's Point of View

_Why can't I stop thinking about Darien Shields?_

I sat up in bed and looked up to the moon pouring its luminescent light onto my floor. Whenever I couldn't sleep I would go to Sammy's old room like I used to when we were kids. I smiled to myself with that thought and climbed out of bed.

Slowly creaking the door open I followed the moon's light to Sammy's door and opened it. There were so many boxes in here from the orchard house that the window was covered up, making it hard to sleep.

I pulled the covers back and slid under them gently. Being as tired I was, I didn't realize the large man lying beside me.

* * *

**Okay, so I know that this is a short-short chapter and that I haven't updated in a while, but I've been thinking hard about the two paths I can take with this story. I can take the original path I planned where the story is literally an AU fanfiction set in the Carolinas, or I can several details of the story and connect it with Sailor Moon's original storyline. Of course, I would change a lot still. No Sailor Scouts or constant Negaverse creatures, but a mystical romance between star-crossed lovers. **

**But tell me what you think! I have many ideas for both paths, but I can't decide what you guys would rather read, so let me know! **

***** Also, I have two other fanfictions that I am working on based on the "Summer I Turned Pretty" **

** series by Jenny Han, if you are interested. **

** Searching for Summer is a good summer read with romance and the beach.**

** The Summer I Became Isabel is more of a travel the world, find yourself story with, of course, romance.**


End file.
